ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County will delay opening most government offices Wednesday morning to allow employees time to be recognized for their work during Tropical Storm Helene.
County offices will open at 10 a.m. Sept. 24, with libraries opening an hour later at 11 a.m., following a breakfast honoring staff who responded to the storm.
“This breakfast is a small way to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our staff who went above and beyond to support our community in the aftermath of the storm,” the county said in a statement. “We appreciate the community’s understanding as we take this time to acknowledge their commitment and service.”
Public safety services, law enforcement, the courthouse and the landfill and transfer station will maintain normal operating hours.
Services affected by the delayed opening include:
- Administration: 200 College St., opening at 10 a.m.
- Government Services Center: 35 Woodfin St., including the Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency, Environmental Health, Permits & Inspections, and Planning. (Election Services and the Family Justice Center will open at 8 a.m.)
- Helene Resource Center: 94 Coxe Ave., opening at 10 a.m.
- Health & Human Services: 40 Coxe Ave., opening at 10 a.m. (Social Work Services will continue mandated operations.)
- ID Bureau: 59 Woodfin Place, opening at 10 a.m.
- Parks & Recreation: Lake Julian Park at 10:30 a.m. (Other parks on regular schedule; Karpen Fields, Cane Creek Fields, Alexander River, and Charles D. Owen Parks remain closed because of storm damage.)
- Public Libraries: Opening at 11 a.m. (Oakley-South Asheville and Swannanoa libraries closed Wednesdays. The digital library remains available.)
- Register of Deeds: Opening at 10 a.m.
- Tax Collections/Property Assessment: 182 College St., opening at 10 a.m.
Normal service is expected to resume after the recognition event.